Learning to swim

[VeganBikeChick]

I can't propel myself with my legs to save my life. Give me some fins and my arms and it's a completely different story. Glad to hear I'm not alone.

[Selkie]

Don't be discouraged by the kickboard. You have to keep at it. Make sure you are not kicking like a runner (i.e., bending your knees). The kick should originate from your hips.

If you learns tips on how to breathe bilaterally, please let us know.

[Melalvai]

Unfortunately I think the muscles you use for biking are not the muscles for a swim kick. Yeah, it's all from the hip. I don't use kickboards because I go backwards with them! But get me in a good streamline position kicking from the hips and I can motor along pretty well. At least I get to the other side eventually.

I've been doing some work on my back, following the Total Immersion sequence, and I can't go forward OR keep my legs up. I'm trying to use the same kind of kick but it's just not there. I went back and re-read that section and it says lack of coordination, and inflexible ankles, are the cause of that. Well, I know which one is my problem. And I might also have inflexible ankles.

[tangentgirl]

Good for you, lph! It's always nice to have something to add to the workout repertoire, and swimming is a good skill to have. And learning something new is great too.

I learned to *really* swim several years ago when I did a tri with TNT. Used to be panicky afraid of the water and couldn't get past a dogpaddle. Learned how to swim freestyle, then got into the open water (you have to in a tri), and all that gave me the confidence to learn to surf. I like swimming. I love surfing. Almost as much as love cycling. Sometimes a little more. Shh.

Looking forward to the next report!

[HillSlugger]

I'm with you, I don't go anywhere with my kick either. Still, your kick drives everything else in your stroke (rotation, etc) so you do have to kick.

[Veronica]

The reason Michael Phelps is so good - he's got wicked big feet and REALLY flexible ankles!

Don't give up the kicking with a kickboard, it really is a good leg workout. Try kicking with your feet just below the surface, visualize your body as torpedo moving through the water, all in a line.

Have fun!

Veronica

[trista]

I started learning freestyle last spring - I took a couple months of lessons at the Y. Kicking is the hardest for me too. I try to get to the pool at least twice a week, and have been doing so for 6 months. I am *just now* getting confident/good enough to swim without fins, but I still need them for long distances. I figure it will come in time

[Susan]

I learned swimming quite a long time ago so I may be wrong, but I think the point of kicking is mostly to keep balance. If you have good balance, you are able to swim freestyle even without kicking (legs just floating and rolling with your body). If the legs won't stay up, it's a balance problem, not a kicking problem most of the time. There is no need to really propel you forward with your legs (at least if you aren't a competitive swimmer)... so don't be discouraged.